Leicester City will target Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer, but only after offloading club legend Jamie Vardy, according to Football Transfers.
The 37-year-old is out of contract at the King Power Stadium this summer, with the Foxes holding out on contract negotiations for a number of stars whilst they still chase promotion back to the Premier League. Despite his age, the striker is showing no signs of letting up and is once again the club’s top goalscorer this season with 16 in all competitions.
The Foxes have let slip a mammoth lead at the top of the Championship in recent weeks and currently sit third in the table. However, they are just two points behind pacesetters Ipswich Town and do possess a game in hand over the two teams above them.
As such, they still hold their promotion fate in their own hands and are favourites to secure an immediate return to the Premier League. Much has been made of Leicester’s financial constraints and a number of key stars are expected to attract attention this summer, including Player of the Season nominee Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Vardy remains one of the club’s highest earners on a reported £150,000-per-week. As such, Football Transfers claim that they will allow the former England international to depart at the end of his current deal to make way for fresh faces. Arsenal’s Nketiah tops the list, who is also wanted by Brentford and Crystal Palace.
There are legends, then there's Jamie Vardy 🐐 pic.twitter.com/q8fWMDan3F
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 13, 2024
The 24-year-old has five goals in 25 Premier League appearances this season as the Gunners chase a first title since 2004. However, the last of those came back in October when he hit a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Sheffield United. As such, his recent minutes have come from the bench and he has been an unused substitute in three of the last four fixtures.
Having made his England debut last year, the attacker is expected to leave the Emirates this summer, although it is believed that Arsenal will demand a fee north of £30 million.
Writer’s View
The Jamie Vardy fairytale has to come to an end at some point. His high wages make this decision slightly easier, although he is still a player that makes a huge impact.
The old saying of ‘age is just a number’ suits the striker down to the ground and if the Foxes do earn promotion, they’ll owe their old talisman a huge degree of thanks. If he is to remain at the King Power Stadium, he will likely have to agree to a big pay cut. However, there has been interest in the past from Saudi Arabia and he may fancy one last big payday before his playing career comes to an end.